Ben Nissim's New York Jets fan blog

Green with envy

It’s odd happenstance when I turn on the TV and see something Green being celebrated.  Kermit knew it wasn’t easy, people get green with envy, and even the American greenback has been taking its hits recently.  However with the (bought/ David Stern designed) revitalization of the Boston Celtics the portrayal of green has changed in the national media, and more surprisingly, in New York.  While the Celtics changing fortunes have of course reenergized the Boston and New England fan base causing them to rally around their club in as similarly an obnoxious fashion as when Red Sox fans celebrate their team, the growing national (re: New York) interest in the club has more sinister overtones.  It would be easy now to echo the words of many of the sports pundits who have made a point of pointing out the lunacy of the trades that brought KG and Pau to their respective teams, [1] but that certainly pertinent point does not get at the root issue.  Parallel to the reemergence of the Celtics has been an epidemic the likes of which I have never seen. 

Continue reading "There's Only One Shade of Green"

As the first post to this blog I thought the best place to begin would be to discuss what it means to be a New York Jets fan.  While it may be simple to define what exactly a ‘fan’ is, we Jets fans have a far more complicated relationship with our team then the word allows.  Dramatic irony be damned, hope springs eternal on Woody Johnson’s brow.  Having seen failure at every turn we give in to our anger, at once comforted by the hope of the preseason but confident enough in our knowledge of history to be assured of a good draft pick come spring.  The struggle is masochistic; a perversion, but a pleasure nonetheless.

The nature of our relationship to the Jets is paradigmatically different then New Yorkers have with their other sports teams.  There is a requisite level of expectation that comes along with rooting for a team in this city.  The Yankees success is well recorded, the Giants are one of the flagship organizations of the NFL and the Knickerbockers and Rangers have had their days in the sun.  Even the New York Metropolitans have tasted the sweet nectar of victory.  Our pride is built off an entirely different foundation.

Continue reading "What It Takes To Be A Fan"